Carton



April 19, 1955 SCHALLER 2,706,592

CARTON Filed June 30, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR MAURICE SCH/ll L 5/? 1 I M fju E's ATTORNEYS P 1955 M. S'CHALLER 2,706,592

CARTON Filed June 30, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

INVENTOR MAL/RICA S C #111 1 H? I Ala/ 4. +74% IS ATTORNEYS United States Patent CARTON Maurice Schaller, Flushing, N. Y., assiguor to Lorentzen Hardware Mfg. Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 30, 1950, Serial No. 171,418

3 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) This invention relates to a carton, and more particularly to an octagonally shaped carton for the packing, shipping, and storing of coiled metal strip and other relatively thin, heavy, cylindrical objects.

An octagonally shaped carton has certain advantages over a square carton for the packing and shipping of such objects. It more closely conforms to the circular shape of the object and affords more points of contact between the object and the walls of the carton, thus giving more support to the walls of the carton and also eliminating the largely unsupported sharp corners found on the customary square box, which have a tendency to rupture. Further, an octagonal carton can be more easily rolled by hand, making special handling devices largely unnecessary.

In the form shown of my invention, I have utilized an octagonally shaped, two-piece carton constructed from paperboard. One piece is comprised of two octagonally shaped sides having a marginal flap adjacent each facet of each side, the two sides being linked together by a common flap on one facet. The other piece is an endless octagonal band adapted to extend about the periphery of and space between the octagonal sides of the first piece. The marginal flaps of the first piece are alternately inside of and outside of the endless band about the periphery of the carton, overlapping external flaps being joined to hold the carton closed.

If desired, each octagonal side may be provided with a small, centrally located, circular score, and when the carton is used for strip or strand material wound upon a hub, the carton material within the scores may be knocked out and the holes thus formed will register with the hole through the hub. The carton can then be mounted on an axis passed through the hub. The material wound on the hub can be unreeled by opening only one set of marginal flaps, the coil of wound material never being removed from the carton in coiled form and the carton serving as a protective cover for the remainder of the material. I

An object of my invention is to provide an improved octagonally shaped paperboard carton which can be economically manufactured.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a strong, durable carton for relatively thin, heavy cylindrical objects which offers maximum protection to finished material, which is adapted for easy packing, storing, and handling, which permits the material to be unreeled without removal of the entire carton, and to generally improve upon octagonally shaped cartons.

Other objects and objects relating to details and economies of manufacture, assembly, and use will more definitely appear in the detailed description to follow.

My invention is defined in the appended claims. Where parts are, for clarity and convenience, referred to on the basis of their oriented position shown in the accompanying drawing, no limitation as to positioning of the entire structure is to be implied, since it will be understood that it may be used in any position. Also in both the description and the claims, parts at times may be identified by specific names for clarity and convenience, but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and with the concept of my invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. The best form in which I have contemplated applying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the carton, a portion of one side bemg broken away to show the nesting of a coil 01 metal strip therein.

Fig. 2 is a view before folding of one piece of the carton shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the endless band forming the other part of the carton shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an isometric view showing the endless band in position about the periphery of one side of the carton during an initial stage of assembly.

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the carton in the last 1sitage of assembly, showing the overlapping of a set of aps.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken generally on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken generally on the line 7--7 of Fig. 5

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a second form of carton side.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the other carton side of the second form of the invention.

Fig. 10 is an isometric view showing the attaching of the endless band to the side pieces in the second form of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the carton mounted on a supporting means with the strip material passed outwardly through the carton at one set of flaps that have been opened.

Referring now to the drawings, the carton 10 of the first form of the invention is a twopiece carton, one piece comprising two octagonal sides 11, 11 joined by a common peripheral flap 12 extending along one facet of each side and the other piece comprising an endless paperboard band of a length to extend about the periphery of the octagonal sides 11, 11, and whose width is substantially the same as the width between the octagonal sides 11, 11 of the flap 12. The term paperboard as used herein includes cardboard and pulpboard. The paperboard from which the carton of the present invention is formed is preferably corrugated and laminated, the corrugated middle section being covered on each side by a fiat layer of paperboard.

Fig. 2 shows a view before folding of the portion of the carton forming the octagonal sides 11, 11. This portion of the carton is preferably cut from a single sheet of paperboard of suitable size and is preferably blocked out with paper-cutting dies. Each octagonal side 11 has a peripheral flap on each other facet of the side in addition to the common peripheral fiap 12 between the octagonal sides. These peripheral flaps are preferably all substantially the same width as the peripheral flap 12 and are separated from the remainder of the octagonal sides 11, 11 by score lines to facilitate folding the flaps. The score lines for the three alternate flaps 15, as well as flap 12, are located slightly further out from the center of the octagonal sides 11, 11 than the score lines for the four alternate flaps 16 of each side. The reason for this construction will be explained hereinafter.

The endless band 14, which is shown in Fig. 3, is also preferably formed from laminated, corrugated paperboard similar to that from which the sides 11, 11 are formed. This band is of uniform width approximating the width of the flap 12 and is preferably scored for folding into octagonal shape. Preferably, the ends of the band are joined at the midpoint 17 of one of the sides or facets of the octagon and are preferably joined by butting the ends and may be united with a heavy paper or fabric tape.

The assembly of the carton is shown in Fig. 4. The endless band 14 is placed on one of the sides 11, 11 so as to overlie (lie outside of) the four alternate flaps 16 and rest along the score lines of the three alternate flaps 15 and the common flap 12. The band may be assembled With an octagonal side 11 of the carton either before or after a coil of strip stock 19, or other object to be packed, has been placed upon the side.

After assembly of the endless band 14 with one side 11 of the carton, the other side 11 of the carton is folded over so as to close the carton. The four alternate flaps 16 of the second side 11 of the carton are positioned beside the flaps 16 of the first side and lie within the endless band 14. These flaps may lie either over or under he corresponding flaps of the other side of the carton, but is usually found easier to position them under or inide these flaps. The three flaps 15 from each side of he carton are folded into overlapping relationship with he corresponding flap of the other side of the carton overying the endless band 14 and secured to prevent the caron from opening, as shown in Fig. 5. In the drawings, he sides 15 are shown as being secured by staples which ire inserted to pass through the fiaps 15 but not to pass hrough the endless band 14.

Since the flaps 15 and the common flap 12 are folded )ver the outside of the endless band 14 while the flaps i6 are folded up on the inside of the endless band, the core lines of the flaps 12 and 15 are located outwardly 'rom the center of each side 11 a slightly greater distance ban the score lines for the flaps 16 to allow for the thickiess of the band.

If desired, each octagonal side may be scored to pernit knocking out a part 20 of each octagonal side 11 to Form registering radial slots on each side extending from :he center of the side nearly to the common flap 12. When the carton is used for the packaging of coiled strip, the radial slots permit the strip to be dispensed directly from the carton by placing an axle 21 through the hub 31' core of the strip and supporting it on a suitable support 22 (Fig. 11). As shown, the sides 11, 11 of the :arton overlie the ends of the cylindrical coil formed by the edges of the coiled strip, and guide the strip as it is delivered from the coil.

The overlapping flaps 15, 15 on the facet opposite the common flap 12 and that side of the octagonal band 14 may be severed from the carton to form an opening through which the strip may be unreeled. As the strip is unreeled from the carton, the coil will rotate on the axle 21 while the carton remains stationary.

It is often desired to unreel only a portion of a reel of strip, such as Venetian blind slat stock, and then to unreel from another reel of different strip. The radial slots formed in the sides 11, 11 of the carton permit the axle 21 to be withdrawn from the hub of a partly used reel of strip and subsequently reinserted without difficulty simply by resting the carton on the common flap 12, at which time the radial slots will project vertically downward from the centers of the sides 11, 11 and the center of the partly used coil the slots. The axle 21 may then be inserted through the radial slots and the hub of the coil without lifting the coil.

If desired, the corresponding flaps 16 may be approximately one-half the width shown in the drawings so as to abut rather than overlap. Also the piece comprising the sides 11, 11 may be formed of two pieces similar to the side 24 of the second form of the invention, shown in Fig. 9, secured together. In either event, the assembly and functioning of the carton is similar.

In the carton of this invention, no staples or other metal fasteners penetrate to the inside of the carton; and, therefore, it is possible to pack finished items such as coiled painted strip stock or coiled painted Venetian blind slat stock without protective layers of packing and without scratching the stock. Further, the octagonal sides of the carton follow the contour of a round object within the carton relatively closely, and slippage of the object within the carton and attendant marring of the object is largely prevented. A round item packed within the carton aids in supporting the walls of the carton, and there are no extended, unsupported corners to become damaged in shipping, as in the case of packing round objects in square cartons. The carton may easily be rolled without damage to either the carton or contents, thus making the use of handling equipment largely unnecessary.

In the second form of my invention, shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the octagonal sides 22 and 24 may be formed of of strip will lie somewhere along 4 separate pieces of paperboard. The octagonal side 24 has a marginal flap 25, corresponding with the common flap 12 of the first form of the invention, and alternate peripheral flaps 15 and 16, corresponding with similarly numbered flaps of the first form of the invention. The octagonal side 22, shown in Fig. 8, is similar and has an additional flap 26 beside the marginal flap 25 and separated therefrom by a score line to facilitate folding.

To assemble the carton of the second form of the invention, the flap 25 of the octagonal side 22 is superimposed on the correspondingly numbered flap of the octagonal side 24 with the octagonal sides projecting on opposite sides of the flaps. One side of the endless band 24 may then be superimposed on the flaps 25 and the three pieces stapled together as indicated in Fig. 10, the flap 26 then being folded down over the staples to protect the object within the carton from becoming marred thereby. If desired, the ends of the band 24 may be united solely by the flaps 25 rather than first joining the ends of the band by tape. The band 24 is then folded down onto one of the octagonal sides of the carton and the flaps positioned and secured as above described in connection with the first form of the invention.

The carton of the present invention may be formed with a minimum of wastage of paperboard, since the band 14 is formed separately from the piece forming the two octagonal sides 11, 11 of the carton. Accordingly, only the peripheral flaps extend from the sides of the carton and the sides may be formed from a much smaller rectangle of paperboard than would otherwise be required. The band, which is formed of a narrow rectangular strip of paperboard, may be formed without any substantial wastage or scrap, thus resulting in a considerable net saving of material.

I claim:

1. An octagonal paperboard carton for containing a cylindrical object, said carton comprising: two octagonal paperboard panels defining upper and lower faces of the carton adapted to overlie the ends of the object, said panels each having a marginal flap on each facet, one of the marginal flaps being common to both panels and the other corresponding marginal flaps from the twopanels being overlapped in face-to-face contact; and a paperboard band having a width substantially equal to the distance between said panels, said band extending along the periphery of the octagonal panels, passing alternately over and under the overlapped marginal flaps thereof, and together with the flaps, forming the sides of the carton, the common marginal flap lying outside of the band, and the other marginal flaps which lie outside of the band being secured in overlapped relation.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, in which the overlapped marginal flaps extend from the octagonal central gangls a distance substantially equal to the width of the 3. A carton as claimed in claim 1, in which the marginal flap common to both panels is formed of an individual flap on each panel, said two flaps being secured in overlapped relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,307 Weber July 21, 1936 2,304,373 Palmer Dec. 8, 1942 2,307,076 Ray Jan. 5, 1943 2,347,422 Loth Apr. 25, 1944 2,501,201 Wilcox Mar. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 397,226 France Feb. 18, 1909 117,701 Austria May 10, 1930 

